I am having dinner with a remarkable man. We are seated in the lush environs of Hotel Hassler's charming, outdoor Palm Court that teases the borders of Rome's famed Borghese Gardens. Our conversation is slow, measured, filled with humour, punctuated by my quick jottings and his reading of my lips. For Roberto E Wirth, fifth generation scion of a pioneering hotelier dynasty and owner-president of the Hassler, was born deaf. To an observer from afar, Wirth's silver-haired, imposing personality and the hovering, vigilant staff, within a second's hailing distance, give him an aura of a man in charge. Which he is…. Completely hands on, usually presiding, he informs me, from a long bench hugging the corner side, open-air bar. Sipping a fine Montiano di Lazio and savouring the tantalising coalescence of flavours of a warm scallop salad, dressed with green apple sauce and broiled turbot fillet, topped with porcini mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes - lovingly put together by house chef, Francesco Apreda-Wirth, art collector, wine connoisseur and sometime skier, recounts his life's milestones and the history of the splendid hotel that he inherited from his parents, Oscar Wirth and Carmen Bucher.

It is a story of triumph over tribulation. In an industry that thrives on communication, the hearing-impaired Wirth - whose early education in Italy did little to boost his confidence - discovered a sense of self-worth in special schools in America, earning himself a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1975. And the chandeliered receptacle of a century of Swiss hospitality fell into his capable hands.

In the Hassler Bar, that exudes a decidedly English air, Wirth points to a velvety red sofa where he had many a childhood catnap while watching his mother pour drinks. Then, pausing for a moment, beside an array of artifacts, he reflects on his personal handiwork - a bronze sculpture of a half-open fist. "It is the left hand, which means, 'Follow your heart'," he says, and adds, "I like people who talk less and do more." It was here in the same warmly lit room that Princess Diana once complimented Wirth on the house special, 'Veruschka', an invigorating blend of pomegranate juice, vodka and champagne!

Skirting through a swarm of American delegates, edgy entourage of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, already retired for the night in his suite a few floors above, we zoom upwards to the Hassler's pride and joy - the 60-year-old, panoramic Rooftop Restaurant. The temple of fine, traditional Italian cuisine, its 'wrap-around' windows frame the majestic architectural wonders of the Eternal City in all their illuminated glory To demonstrate the effectiveness of induction heat, Wirth sweeps forth into the smokeless, steel-encased kitchen, causing much nervous consternation among the staff. "Does he do this often?" I ask a young waiter. "Not often," grins the boy, hastily sprinting away with a tray of olive rolls and peacock pate.

In the morning I keep my appointment with Wirth's trusted lieutenant, Uta Wilmer, to get quick peeks at three of the hotel's presidential suites, opulent sanctuaries of the seriously rich and famous. Decorated by Wirth's German wife, Astrid, the interiors are all Venetian lamps and Murano glass, French crystal and Caravaggio paintings. The floral patterned San Pietro Suite, located on the sixth floor reflects an engaging superimposition of eras with 18th century furniture supporting the latest plasma TV and Godiva chocolates tucked into the large-sized 'mini' bar. The one-bedroom Trinita dei Monti Suite, overlooking the must-step-on Spanish Steps and the twin bell towers of the 16th century church from which it borrows its name, flaunts 'classic modernity' in its no nonsense black and white furnishings and red accessories. The plush, wood-panelled Penthouse Suite on the seventh floor with its romantic four-poster bed, gold-plated taps and Louis XV chairs, looks out onto a sunlit Venus de Milo replica on a private terrace stretching over 1730 sq feet. All, quiet sanctums to some of the world's most public people - Ivana Trump, Pablo Picasso, the Beatles, Audrey Hepburn, Bill Gates, Tom Cruise…and Monaco's Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, who honeymooned at the Hassler!

Later that evening, I am privy to Roberto Wirth's 'acquisition' as against 'inheritance' - the 16th century Il Palazzetto, historical backdrop for Bertolucci's The Siege and current headquarters of the International Wine Academy of Rome. Cheekily nudging the Trinita dei Monti Church and overlooking the Hassler's Martini Terrace perched atop the Spanish Steps, the Palazzetto, bought by Wirth in 1999, houses in its unique, vertical structure, classrooms, four exclusively furnished guest rooms, a gastronomic library, wine bar and secluded dining areas for intimate gatherings, fuelled by generous helpings of raisin-infused rum and aromatic Italian herbs.

In the hotel lobby, while I wait for my bags to be loaded into the Hassler limousine, Uta Wilmer catches me studying a huge metal sculpture of the fabled wolf, suckling Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of the city of Rome. "It was a gift from the mayor to Mr Wirth," she says, "a trophy, usually presented only to heads of states." The term 'handicapped' has been turned on its head once again!